Thread: Tells its own story

So I spoke to a farmer today about a Ruahine creek that always produced deer back in the lean eighties. The walk up, over and in to where I would camp was a good couple of hours off track and not the easiest but there are worse. I hadn't been in there myself due to living away for a long while and then hunting other public land. It wasnt the easiest place to camp or hunt but the rewards were always worth it. I thought it might be nice to go back in a few times and re live some memories. I love hunting real deer. There always used to be a few hunters going in there and you had to try and work it so that the creek hadn't been hunted for a week or so before you went in. When I asked him if there were many people still going in there he said he couldn't remember the last time anyone did. In his words "no one wants to hunt real deer the real way anymore. They all want to lug heavy rifles around farmland". Out of a non hunters mouth...............Things have certainly changed. Has carrying packs, living rough, being independent with what you carried in, reading the weather and learning real deer habits really been mostly replaced by learning how to open gates, sussing out where the best paddock is, shooting long range, riding a quad safely etc etc etc? I hope not. I am sure there are still a few real hunters out there hunting real country but it used to be most of us. This spot used to be well hunted and popular so it was a real wake up for me today and confirmed what I have been suspecting. Have others noticed the same? Do hunting clubs still run club trips where they walk in to the bush on Friday nights by torch light for the weekend? I haven't heard of many still doing that. And torches are so good now On a positive note I cant wait to get in there now